JakartaPost/Kompas-Feb 25
A controversial social media post by a recipient of a state-funded Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) scholarship about her child’s foreign citizenship has sparked a widespread backlash and drawn government scrutiny, reigniting a debate over the program’s mandatory return-to-Indonesia requirement. The controversy began after LPDP alumna Dwi Sasetyaningtyas posted a video on Instagram proudly showing her second child’s British passport, which she described as a “strong foreign national passport”. “I know the world seems unfair but let me be the one who bears Indonesian citizenship, not my children,” she said last Friday in a now-deleted post, according to kompas.id. The remark quickly drew criticism, with many questioning the commitment of both her and her husband, Arya Irwantoro, as LPDP alumni bound by the requirement to return to Indonesia after completing studies abroad. Dwi soon explained that she had completed a five-year return commitment in Indonesia and that her British-born child obtained citizenship due to Arya’s indefinite leave to remain (ILR) status in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, allegations against Arya continued to circulate on social media, with users suggesting he may have remained overseas beyond the permitted period. If violations occur, the LPDP will issue warning letters, followed by strict administrative sanctions such as repayment of scholarship funds and a ban on participating in future LPDP programs if the recipient still fails to return. The LPDP, which is managed by the Finance Ministry, said it “regretted this polemic” and confirmed that Dwi had fulfilled her return obligation, but stated that Arya’s case remained under review. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/02/25/lpdp-alumni-controversy-rekindles-debate-over-return
